The Religion Of Mesopotamia Adapted from Holt Eastern World by Marcia Timmel

What were the civilizations of Mesopotamia? The kingdoms of Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria were located in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. These kingdoms were comprised of loosely governed city-states.

Religion Shaped the Society No one knows when religion began in Mesopotamia, but early written records of it date back to 3500 BCE. Religion played a role in every aspect of Sumerian daily life.

Sumerian Religion Sumerians practiced polytheism - the worship of many gods. Each city-state considered one god to be its special protector.

Sumerian Gods The god Anu (An) was the sky god. He was the king of the gods and was considered the father of all the other gods.

He was believed by the Sumerians to be the creator of humans. Sumerian Gods The god Enki (Ea ) was the god of fresh water, and was known for his wisdom. He was believed by the Sumerians to be the creator of humans.

Sumerian Gods The goddess Ishtar (Inanna) was the most important of the female gods. She was the patron of love, fertility, and war.

Sumerian Gods Nanna (Sin) was the god of the moon. He travels across the sky in a small boat of woven twigs, surrounded by the planets and the stars.

Sumerian Gods Shamash (Utu) was the god of sun and of justice. Between the time when the sun sets in the west and rises in the east he is in the underworld, where he decides the fate of the dead.

Sumerian Gods Sumerians believed their Gods could bring good harvests or disastrous floods. They could bring illness or good health, and success or failure. They believed everything in life depended on pleasing the gods. Every Sumerian had to serve and worship the gods.

Sumerian Priests Priests had great status in Sumer, ranked just below the king. They interpreted the wishes of the gods for the people and made sacrifices to them in great temples, called ziggurats.

Core Beliefs Mesopotamian religious beliefs held that humans were co-workers with the gods and labored with them to serve them and to hold back the forces of chaos. In return the gods repaid humans for their service by taking care of their daily needs.